Holland’s De Architekten Cie. has won a competition to transform a derelict Taiwanese port area into a vibrant urban district.

Located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the 15.42 hectare site is currently the derelict Port Station Railyards of the old port.

The team, led by associates Jason Lee and Patrick Koschuch, worked in collaboration with Rosetta Elkin of RSE Landscape on the winning proposal. The redevelopment will highlight the cultural and historical heritage of the site.

Since a large portion of the site contains historic monuments, the central challenge of the brief was to strike a balance cultural preservation/revitalisation, introducing new development onto the site, and transforming the area from an urban barrier to an urban connector.

Jason Lee and Patrick Koschuch added: “With the myriad of cultural monuments, the complex adjacencies, and rich history of the site, we tried to envision a place which is both sensitive to the historical urban context and ambitious in terms of environmental sustainability and the transformation the existing urban morphology.

“We feel strongly that, as the economy of Taiwan, gradually transforms from its manufacturing and industrial past, to one based on cultural production and tourism, our proposal can make a significant contribution to the evolution of the city of Kaohsiung.”